Young people like him prove that effective solutions can be built from the bottom up, developed in and with the communities who stand to benefit most, and led by the individuals who will live with them the longest. Though the focus of these 2016 Laureate Global Fellows is local, they’ve made measurable progress towards achieving these colossal global goals in sustainable, replicable ways.

“The environmental discourse over the past three to four decades has been about making the world a better place for future generations” says Irene Hofmeijer, founder of Peruvian venture Life Out of Plastic (L.O.O.P.), in Protecting Marine Ecosystems in Peru. “We need to focus on our generation. If we start taking action for future generations, it’s going to be too late.”